Shadowed Past
by King Sombra
Summary: King Sombra is a unicorn whose heart is as black as night. How did he get that way? Who is responsible for his actions? and what is the mysterious 'Breath' that files his hatred? Provided as a backstory to King Sombra.
1. Theives

_Clop. Clop. Clop._

_The King walked along his crystal hallways. His reflection sharing the same menacing growl. His silver armor moving with him, the cool metal resting on his legs._

_He reached the crystal balcony. The cool, night air rustled against his mane. The wind whistled in his ears. He looked out, to the town square, where his crystal slaves worked day and night._

_The King grinned at the helpless ponies, grinned at his power, his influence over the crystal slaves. He had done it. He had taken the unconquerable. The Crystal Empire had fallen... to Him_

_The edges of his mouth tugged to another smirk as he turned to exit. The agonizing wails of his Crystal Slaves followed him._

_He was not always like this..._

"Get her! Stop! Thief! Scum!"

I heard the calls of the Guards as they attempted to chase her. I'd hid behind the cake shop, like she told me to

_They won't get her, they never do._ I thought as i heard the skidding of hooves against the cobble roads. Gradually, they faded. She'd come back later. She wasn't about to let a few unicorn guards catch her.

"Pansies Sombie" She'd say. "They stop because they are all weak. They don't catch me because they _know_ they can't. So they'll never try. This, is very important. They won't think on their own. So you _make _them think."

He waited for her, as he always had. As dusk fell, he began to get restless. She had never taken this long. Street lights flickered on and the other ponies bid their good-nights. I lay down in the shadows.

"Sombie..." Came the call, smooth and regal, but mechanical. The melody floated along the broken cobble road. I followed it to a bush. Confused, I stepped further into the shadows and she appeared.

She stood, much bigger than I, with a loaf of bread in her mouth. She didn't use her levitation, that would have been too blatantly obvious to see.

She dropped the loaf and my hunger overtook me. She watched while I devoured my food. Ripping off shards of bread. When I finished eating. I laid down on the cool, moist grass. She snuggled up next to me. Resting her head over my neck, warming my back.

"Good night my little Prince" She whispered as i drifted of into a deep sleep.

It was still night when I awakened, and She was gone. For breakfast most likely. I paced lightly around the large park. Other ponies who were going on a late night stroll stopped to stare at me. Figures, a little foal like me all by myself, at such a late hour! Uncomfortable, I shied away from the stared and whispers. There were an unusually large number of ponies in the park at this time of night. I noticed a lot of them gathered around a rather large platform. Curiosity getting the better of me, I nudged through the crowd and saw... nothing. Confused to what everypony was getting hyped up about. I shimmied along flanks and hooves and excited whispers.

Then suddenly the crowd gasped as a large mare, a, a _unipegasus _approached the platform. Her pure white fur shone, along with her faded rainbow flowing mane. Her cutie mark was of a sun. Bugles sounded as the mare opened up her wings, She lifted herself off the ground and her horn glowed bright.

_And the sun rose..._

I could hardly believe my eyes. I couldn't imagine holding such power in my body. She then bowed and the ponies cheered. _Who in Equestria is this mare? _

"All hail Princess Celestia!"

I suddenly felt myself being dragged away by my mane. I didn't recognize the pony dragging me. I tried to call for help but a hoof clopped over my mouth. Panicking, i writhed around enough to see my kidnapper's face. To my horror i didn't recognize it. The mare who dragged me away had an aqua body with a black mane and tail. I twisted and turned but couldn't wrench myself free.

The mare dragged me all the way to the Everfree Forest. Once in the Forest, I was able to face her. I put on my most menacing look I could. The mare just smiled and laughed. A melodic but mechanical sounding laugh. I immediately recognized who it was.

"Chryssy?! You scared me!" I exclaimed, shifting into a nervous laugh.

Her eyes flashed to a teal blue, as she shifted to her normal form. Her black mane manifested into a blue green mane that flowed down her back and tail. Her odd-shaped wings returned along with her crooked horn and dual sharp fangs. Her aqua body returned to its black form.

"Chryssy I-I'm sorry" I tried to explain. But before I could utter the words her right hoof clonked me on my head between my ears, my sensitive spot. She wasn't my mother, but she definitely was my only form of authority.

"Silence" She hissed.

My face burned with shame, and I was ashamed, the only pony to care about me and I let her. She sent her hoof on my sensitive spot again and fell, crying in pain. She dropped a sandwich at my hooves for breakfast. my head ached but my stomach made me think otherwise. Greedily I ate, taking huge bites. When I finished, I flopped sleepily onto a pile of leaves. Chryssy laid down next to me, offering her body heat in which i kindly took.

"Rest my little King. We have plans when you wake."

**Please Review, I'll have the next chapter up by Wednesday.**


	2. Training

When I woke, Chryssy stood, patiently waiting for me to wake up. She then transformed into a unicorn with dark gray fur and a jet black mane, and green eyes. She often took this form when we go out into town, so she passes off as my mother. She led me out of the forest. It seemed like we were walking for an eternity. It was too much for my stubby little legs. I stumbled a lot, which, annoyed Chryssy. We stopped at a river where I drank and she gave me a little loaf of bread. Where she got that I don't know but I devoured it. Chryssy levitated me onto her back and trotted along, her hooves clopping against the dirt lulling me to sleep.

I woke, for the first time in too long, in a bed. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked around. I was in a house. A nice one at that. I heard slightly audible voices past my shut door. Curious, I walked toward the door and listened.

"I brought him didn't I?" I could hear Chryssy say.

"Yes, you did Chrysalis, He will do." Another voice, light and careful.

"How... old is he?" A third voice, deep and rich.

"I honestly don't know." Chryssy said. "I found him, abandoned, wandering the streets of Baltimare. I had to use my stealth and wits just to keep him alive. My guess, by how much he sleeps, he's between four and eight months of age."

"What's his name?" The light voice asked.

"Sombra." Came Chryssy's response.

"King Sombra." The deep-voiced chuckle came after it. "I like that. Dangerous yet, regal. Charming but mysterious. Flashy but serious."

"Is he still sleeping?" asked the light voiced pony.

Hooves clopped toward the door. As fast as my stubby legs could get me into the bed. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep just as Chryssy opened my door.

I watched through a small crack in my eye. The two stallions followed her in. The first was a rather large bulky unicorn. Deep violet with a silvery mane and tail. The second was another unicorn, smaller, very light green with a emerald colored mane and tail.

Chryssy nuzzled me and slowly, I pretended to wake up. I yawned for good measure. She smiled at me and then gestured to the purple stallion.

"Sombra, this is Nightshade." She then gestured to the light green stallion. "This is Clover." The two stallions grinned at me.

"These kind gentlecolts are going to teach you magic."

My heart skyrocketed. Magic? What could I do? Simple levitation? Powerful spells? Time travel? Cloning? The possibilities are endless.

"Would I be able to lift the sun like I saw that Princess Celestia pony do in the park?" I asked excitedly. So many questions, so little time. I swooned.

"Sombra? Sombra are you alright?" Chryssy was standing over me. A worried look on her face. The two stallions exchanged a look.

"I-I'm alright." I managed to stammer out.

"Sombra," Nightshade said, a plastered look of worry on his face as well. "We are going to teach you a different kind of magic"

How many other kinds of magic are there? So many questions.

"Alright." I grinned. "Let's get started."

"Now Sombra, time for your first lesson which we shall start with simple levitation." Nightshade explaned. He demonstrated by lifting a small book sitting on a table, held it in the air a bit, and carefully placed it on the table again.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I opened them again and focused on the book. And, it began to lift and float in mid air. I carefully began to place the book on the table but I added too much force and the table split right in half.

"Well then." Nightshade mused. "You're quite strong for your age, aren't you?"

I was so eager to prove myself.

Nightshade leaned down to me. "Just how strong do you think you are?" He asked.

I concentrated again, and this time I lifted Clover. He floated in the air, squirming and squealing like a pig.

"AHHH STOP PUT ME DOWN!" He shrieked.

Nightshade chuckled, a big, beefy laugh. "All right all right. You got stuff colt. Put Clover down. GENTLY.

After Clover was down Chyssy smiled at me as she walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'll be back." She replied. "Just focus on your magic."

She transformed into a blue pegasus with a white mane, and casually walked out of the house.

"So." Began Nightshade. "We begin your real training."


	3. Repressed

5 Years Later

"Alright Sombra, time to show me what you're made of."

Nightshade used his horn to throw objects of various shapes, sizes, and weights at me with lightning speed. I easily deflected them, irritated with simple levitation and deflection all the time. I wanted toughness, complexity, difficulty. This is getting me nowhere.

"If I may, Nightshade, why must we continue with this simple levitation and deflection. We are making no progress."

"Because, my young King, you are almost ready for... Dark magic."

"Dark magic?" I presumed, is the opposite of what I normally used. "What is that?"

"Dark magic, is a magic that very few ponies know. You will be virtually indestructible. The few ponies who now of it, simply call it the Breath.

We walked back from a sparring arena to Nightshade's house. He ushered me inside. He then began to fill a supply pack with food and basic necessities. He gestured for me to do the same.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I want to show you something."

We finished packing and we walked along the city of Fillydelphia that was my home for the past three years. We walked on until we approached the train station.

"Two for the Crystal Empire." Nightshade stated.

_The Crystal Empire? Why in Equestria would we go there? _I wondered.

"That'll be 100 bits."

Nightshade handed over the cash and we boarded the train. We found a nice little booth to sit in. In a half an hour the train bellowed its bulky whistle and the train slowly moved out of the city.

Nightshade sat in the booth across from me and he spoke.

"As you know, we are heading to the Empire."

"Obviously." I muttered.

"Don't you get snippy with me." Nightshade retaliated.

I didn't care, since Chrysalis abandoned me and Clover died, I've been pretty good at not caring anymore. Chrysalis cuffed me and screamed at me everyday. I felt glad when she left. I remember the last thing she said to me. "The colt's worthless, absolutely worthless. He'll never amount to anything." She almost tried to kill me too. She said I knew too much. She gave up and abandoned me 4 years ago. Just screamed in my face and said she was done.

Clover's case though, he got involved in the "wrong business with the wrong ponies" and was murdered. We got to Clover just as he died. The killers left as soon as they saw us coming. Nightshade held his head in his hooves as Clover gave his last breath. His dark red blood seeping from the fatal wound on his belly.

Sure, it hurt when Clover died, and it hurt more when Chrysalis left me. But I moved on. I learned not to use my emotions. Don't care about anypony because no pony cares about you. I learned that from Chrysalis of course. She taught me to thieve and claw my way to power.

"As you certainly know of Clover's unexpected... demise."

I snorted

"And... I'm taking you somewhere to get rid of those... awful images... in your head."

My eyes widened slightly._Take away the bad images in my head? _I flashed back to Chrysalis leaving me, Clover dying, the little snippet on a memory of my mother telling me to wait somewhere and never coming back...

"My unwanted memories... gone?" I wondered aloud.

"Not gone but... altered. To help you with your mission." Nightshade corrected himself.

_Could they really be gone? Is that possible? Is that necessary? _Nightshade smiled at me.

"I'll let you get some rest, we've got a long, long, long train ride ahead of us." Nightshade got up to leave. "I'll see you in the morning Sombra."

I turned to the window as he left. It had begin to rain. I watched each drop settle on the window and trickle down._ The Crystal Empire... Wow. It's the richest city in Equestria. Well, it's not really a city since it has its own ruler. _Thoughts filled me of the Empire. Looking upon its greatness for the first time. Watching the Crystal Ponies. I silently envied how they, sparkled. Like each pony was _made _of crystal. I had heard the entire city was pure crystal, down to the very last piece of grass and even the food! I couldn't imagine it. Would they use bits for currency like we do? Crystal is worth a lot more. Crystal images floated in my head as I drifted off to sleep.

**Well, Sombra is going to the Crystal Empire. I've been trying to find better ways to end the chapter other than him just sleeping! I try to update every two days but i don't have the time to make 1000+word chapters. But it's better to post something smallish than nothing at all! **

**~King Sombra**


	4. A Villan is Born

My eyes shot open as the train screeched to a stop. Nightshade pulled back on the window curtain. I moaned in protest as the blinding light burned my pupils. I never truly liked the sun. Too... bright.

"Mornin'." Nightshade greeted. "Time to wake up, we're here."

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. We got our bags off the train. Stepping off the train, I was greeted with the sight of the most beautiful city in the world. Everything I saw, pure crystal. Everything. Even the ponies glittered like they were each their own diamond. It was breathtaking. What was more breathtaking was the expansive castle in the center of the city.

I nearly slammed my head into Nightshade. He turned and gave me an annoyed look. He continued down the crystal road. We approached a modest home. I was in so much awe for the crystalline city. Nightshade knocked on the door six times and muttered a phrase I couldn't hear.

A pony opened the door. But, he didn't look like an ordinary pony. He had stripes. Everywhere. He had odd rings on his left leg. His mane stuck straight up instead of flowing neatly behind him. His eyes were an odd shape too. They shone a bright blue. The stallion motioned for us to sit on a crystal couch. To my surprise, the couch sagged under my weight. Crystal stuff really is different.

"Sombra, this is Kivikah." Nightshade introduced me.

_Odd name for an odd pony_. I thought.

"You have been studying magic I see.

You will do good by the teachings of the three.

_What? Why is he talking like that? _I wondered incredulously.

"I-I'm sorry?" I stammered.

"Kivikah only speaks in a rhythmic form. All of his kind are like that." Nightshade answered.

"O...kay. Who are the three?" I asked.

"Myself, and Clover of course.

I felt myself physically darken.

"This colt has seen life and death,

He is capable of bearing the Breath."

"Breath? What Breath? What is he talking about?" I asked. _I have seen life and death? He doesn't mean... Clover and... _

A brief mental flashback ensued. Clover's death. Him bleeding out on the cobble road.

Confused in images your head might ring,

remember every Queen has a King."

My mind then flashed to Chrysalis. She had met another pony before courting him. Then he was gone in a flash and she was pregnant. I watched her give birth. It was a gloriously gruesome event. An event I'd like to forget. Then she left with the child, stating that I was a useless cause. I gritted my teeth.

"But, what is the Breath?" I wondered aloud.

Kivikah smiled a toothy smile. _This guy is really starting to creep me out._

"The Breath, young colt, is full of strength,

undefinable by any mortal length."

_This pony's riddles are driving me insane! _"If you don't give me answers I swear I'll-"

"Calm thyself you little rot

some things you will see, others you will not."

"What is this Breath and where is it!?" I half screamed half roared.

"Some thing I shall have you know,

I can read your mind, the Breath told me so,

Let hate and anger fill the void,

And have love and hope be destroyed.

Let the Breath consume your soul

And you, my King, will fill your role."

I pondered over this for a moment. Let something consume my soul? Get rid of my awful moments? When I do that, I'll be king? I had been told a lot about Dark Magic, but I'd never been schooled in it. Let alone become a _king_ due to it. That must be why Nightshade and Chrysalis always called me their little 'king'. Or that first night when Nightshade called me 'King Sombra'.

"How do I become King?" I asked.

"Before you are king, young colt,

First you must lead a revolt."

_What? _"Who am I revolting against? Who controls the Empire?" I asked.

"The citizens of the Empire sing and dance

Under the rule of Princess Cadence."

"Cadence?"

"An alicorn whose heart is true,

She'll do everything in her power to defeat you."

"Wait, I'm not... killing her... am I?"

"No." Nightshade responded. "You're not going to kill her. You can't."

"Wh-what do you mean by 'can't'?." I whirled around at him while pointing a hoof at Kivikah. "He, he said with this Breath thing I will be undefeated! Right? Who says I can't?"

"You can't." Nightshade repeated again. "She is immortal."

My emotions sank. _How in equestria am I supposed to take an empire from someone who is immortal?_ I wondered.

"It is not her you have to kill

You must first destroy your own will."

Strangely, this rhythmic talking of his doesn't bother me as much anymore.

"He means," Nightshade began. "The Breath will take over your mind. You will know of everything you are doing, but you cannot stop the Breath. You will _be_ the Breath.

The words the stallion said are true,

Come, let the Breath absorb you."

Kivikah then held up a small glass bottle. In the bottle was a liquid that glowed violet, no, wait, it _shifted_ from violet, to a lime green, then red. I silently marveled at the array of colors. I was so wrapped up in the little bottle when Nightshade cuffed me in my sweet spot in the back of my head.

"Pay attention! Kivikah was trying to speak with you."

I blinked a few times. How much time could possibly pass?

"Sombra!"

"Sorry, sorry!" I exclaimed, looking at Kivikah, then Nightshade.

Kivikah shook his head in a disappointing way.

"What Kivikah was trying to say to you was, this, is the Breath." Nightshade said, gesturing to the bottle.

"How in Equestria is something so powerful in a container so small?" I wondered aloud.

"Don't let it's stature fool you." Nightshade said, irritated. "This little bottle can take over the Crystal Empire."

This puny insignificant bottle.

"Drink the Breath my aged foal,

Let it consume your soul."

Kivikah was staring at me expectantly. Nightshade nodded at me. Gulping. I took a step toward Kivikah and the bottle. Levitating it toward my mouth with a last glance at Nightshade and Kivikah. I drank it.

It tasted like, nothing. Surprised and confused. I blinked a few times then stared at the bottle. Empty. Suddenly I felt a tingling sensation in my hooves. It spread up from my hooves to my belly, then up to the tip of my horn. I was liking the vibration feeling when the tingle shifted quickly to a burning sensation in my horn. In pain and horror I opened my eyes to see my horn shifting from grey to a bright red. The burning continued. I shook my head left and fight to stop it. The pain increased, the burn spread to my eyes. Tears welled up and streamed down my face.

"RAAAAGH!" I screamed as the pain shot to my mouth. It seemed to take forever to get it to stop. It pulsated through every nerve in my body. I screamed again. It felt like two teeth were being slowly pulled out of my mouth. My head burned like a wildfire. My body began shaking uncontrollably. Spasms shocked my body for several minutes as the pain kept racking on. Then. Blackness.

**Not bad eh? Leaving him in a cliffy? Please review. Any kind of feedback is good.**


	5. Breathing Evil

"Sombra! SOMBRA!"

My eyes fluttered open. Nightshade was standing next to me. A worried expression over his face. It took me a while to get my vision centered. Kivikah was on the opposite side of me. Not a single expression crossed his blank face. _Still creepy. _

_"_Sombra! Are you alright?" Nightshade asked, worried.

I shook my head to rid myself of the remaining dizziness. I groaned at the inconvenience. I nearly fell over from shock. My voice had deepened, drastically. Almost Demonic. _Must be the Breath. _I thought. I shut my mouth and found a piercing pain in my lip. My eyes slightly burned. But not enough to truly hurt me, just a mere annoyance.

I slowly got to my feet and went to look in a mirror. Nightshade and Kivikah watched me like a hawk.

"What's wrong? What are you two staring at?" I asked in my new demonic voice. They stayed silent.

I trotted over to the nearest mirror and took a few steps back in alarm. I looked in the mirror again, to make sure I wasn't just seeing this.

No, it was real. My mane had gained substantial volume and curled back. Much resembling a lion. My lip, now bleeding from my newly grown dual fangs piercing them. I ran my tongue over the fangs a few times. Nearly piercing my tongue. My slightly burning eyes, to my amazement, changed drastically. The whites of my eyes had shifted to a lime green. The Iris, a flaring red. What amazed me most was the violet mist, emitting from the outer corners of both eyes. I looked, and felt, demonic.

"Wow." I breathed out. Checking every angle of my new self. "I look-"

"Like a King." Nightshade finished for me.

"Your appearance is not all the Breath can do

You can feel it breathing inside you."

Kivikah still annoyed me with his chant like speaking. I closed my eyes and the room got very quiet. I heard it. A deep, low, soft, breathing. It breathed with the rhythm of my heart. _This is quite unusual... I think. _

"Now that we have the Breath inside of you. We can start on your Dark Magic training. Shall we?" Nightshade presumed.

Kivikah put his hoof out past Nightshade, stopping him from going any further.

"Let our King get some rest.

So the Breath can be its best."

Nightshade sighed. "Come Sombra, let's go."

"Where?" I wondered. "Where are we going now?"

"We are going to an Inn so you may get some sleep, and I have a few errands to run of my own."

It was of no use to try to get him to tell me where. He's quite lenient. We left, saying goodbye to Kivikah. I didn't pay attention to his chanted good-byes. Nightshade led me through sparkling roadways. Lust filled me. Such beautiful crystals. I wanted them, all of them. It was just like what I had imagined and heard from the ponies back in Baltimare. Everything shone. We stopped at a vendor stall for some food. I barely wanted to eat my crystal corn. It seemed like it was too valuable. The Breath just seemed to make the Empire more beautiful, if that was even possible.

We finished our meal and Nightshade led me to a small Inn. Small as it was, it was grand. I was too busy gazing at the crystals I didn't hear Nightshade tell me my room number.

"Sombra! You're in room 6. Go, rest." He levitated the keys at me, to which I quickly reacted and caught. _This Breath certainly has quite a bit of advantages._ I thought.

I walked down the crystal hallways until I reached room 6. I unlocked the door to find a double bed, a desk with paper and pens, and some books. I jumped onto the bed and nestled my head on the incredibly soft pillow. Even though everything shone. When I closed the drapes and blew out my light did everything look like a normal Inn. I sighed and rested my head. The Breath's rhythmic 'breathing' lulled me to bliss.

** I'd misplaced my notebook that has the rough draft so I did my best to remember. I think it went pretty well, considering its one of the smaller chapters. I will try updating the larger next chapter sometime before Friday.**

**~King Sombra**


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